The report on these girls' accomplishments is not only a ray of hope for the free world but most of all for a nation and a people that have suffered so much throughout history.

The specifics of this situation make your article so much more compelling. As the writer points out, the Taliban denied schooling to girls while they ruled Afghanistan until 2001. Since then, the number of children attending school has increased from 900,000 (virtually all boys) to about 9 million, of which 40 percent are girls. And of course, the girls in your article are the result of these positive changes in educational opportunities.

The U.S. in partnership with many developed/developing countries is making huge contributions toward these changes. Our country is a member of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), and its efforts drive results such as those reported in this article.

Your readers currently have a great opportunity to influence this situation worldwide just by taking the simple step of calling their members of Congress at 202-224-3121 and asking them to request that the administration make a bold pledge at the upcoming GPE conference.

Andy J. Garcia, Far North Dallas

The real crime in southern Dallas

Re: "In Perpetual Pursuit -- America promises to offer upward mobility for those willing to work hard. So why are so many Dallas residents working full time but still mired in poverty? Dallas, meet your working poor," July 16 Points.

The failure of Dallas to attract more business to southern Dallas can be traced to the clear absence of a current market demand study. It is common knowledge in the marketing world that a market demand study is an essential element for sizing up the business opportunities in any community. Corporate investors apparently do not have market demand statistics available and instead rely on news reports about crime and other quality of life issues.

Even worse, Dallas has not sponsored a current market demand study of residents in the Southern Dallas community, even though funds continue to be spent on futile attempts to attract new business development.

I have conducted numerous studies over the past 40 years for private and public entities and have learned that residents in lower-income neighborhoods spend significant dollars on many goods and services but tend to travel outside of their communities to buy these items because of insufficient retail choices in their communities. The real "crime" here is that city leaders and the corporate community have allowed misguided perceptions of southern Dallas to guide business decisions.

So, let me get this straight: Now the teachers of Texas are Dan Patrick's best friends? The same person who refuses to fund education is now telling the school districts how to allocate their already-reduced funds. Last time I checked, that was called micromanaging.

Dan Patrick, you have no say over how school districts spend their money. It is not your money. It is up to the voters of the district to express their opinion on how funds are spent. Maybe you don't know this, but the "I" in ISD stands for independent.

Don't get me wrong, I think all teachers need a raise, and retired teachers need an increase in annuity. The poor job Texas has done in providing health care for the retired teachers is a disgrace. I, for one, will not let the recent declaration of political rhetoric sway my opinion of our lieutenant governor. He is not for education. He is for himself and all of his ultraconservative cronies who refuse to meet the expectations of the children of Texas.

I just hope the active and retired teachers do not fall for his bull. The term "pants on fire" comes to mind.

Conservative Republicans living in Texas, supportive of public education, are looking for public education-friendly Republican candidates. Contact: Texans for Public Education Facebook group.

John Black, Far North Dallas

Put up some money

"Ludicrous." It was the best response to Dan Patrick's assertion that education is his "top priority." After making sure no one could touch the $11 billion dollar rainy day fund, in spite of a crisis this year in Child Protective Services and teacher retirement funding, Patrick and Abbott propose no new state funds to go to the education of our children.

Instead, they propose pay raises and longevity bonuses that would come from already designated state funding. In other words, an unfunded mandate. No, says Patrick to districts, "we aren't taking money from you ... just directing it to teachers because you haven't been."

The state already funds less than most states do in their education. As of 2015, Texas had the fourth highest spending gap for students in wealthy districts vs. high poverty districts.

The projected dip in the state's share of education funding is expected to slip to 37 percent by 2018. To Patrick and his governor, I say put your money where you mouth is. Patrick tries to dodge the unfunded mandate label, yet a mandate that is unfunded is an unfunded mandate. To say otherwise is, well ... ludicrous.

Jay Breeding, Plano

Campus life: another way

Re: "DeVos: Too many are treated unfairly," Friday news story.

For your college student, these approaches would be helpful in avoiding the risks of alleged campus rape and unjust college prosecution for allegedly committing it.

Heavy drinking and sexual liberation both have risks on today's college campuses. Drinking can lead to death, auto wrecks and Title IX prosecutions. Sexual liberation leads to uncertain relationships where consent is hard to determine.

The college drinking scene can be tightened: House mothers and party chaperones can be reinstalled; off-duty police posted on doors; drinkers carded for legal age; and procedures set up for handling drunks.

While not favored by liberal college administrators, campus religious groups are a safeguard for your college student. My three granddaughters, graduating from UT-Austin, centered their lives on the Reformed University Fellowship (RUF), sponsored by the conservative Presbyterian Church in America. Now they are a lawyer, a doctor and a charter school administrator.